A working Indian student reveals the truth about pursuing a career in the UK.

Well, it’s been over a year since I moved to the UK and during that time I’ve gone through a major transition from a master’s student to a practicing professional in my placement year. Being an international student has certainly been an amazing but challenging journey as it has its strengths and limitations.

I finished my university studies in May 2022, but I haven’t graduated yet because I’m halfway through my placement year, but I’m working full time and have a thesis based on this placement in September 2023, which has truly been my life. class.

Building a career in the UK is challenging

The whole process of getting the right resources to build your profile, updating your resume in the format you need, researching the company and industry, applying for jobs months and months later, waking up to rejections so that it doesn’t affect your driving, prep interviews, uniform routines. Panic while trying to balance, the uncertainty of being accepted/rejected after an interview, consulting people for referrals, and stressing about it all can feel demanding and affect your motivation to move on. But in the end, when you get an email with a proposal from a company you interviewed for multiple rounds, it all feels worthwhile!

Competition is fiercer than ever

Despite the fact that the UK is a huge center of globalization and caters to people all over the world, I think the job market for freshmen is relatively tougher. Compared to other applicants, we have more specifications and criteria to qualify for, which ultimately adds to the overall process. The eligibility factor for entry-level roles seemed unreasonable at this point, and restrictions sometimes acted as barriers, allowing language advantages to complicate things. There is competition among all applicants, so it’s understandable that it’s a daunting task for employers to evaluate everyone.

As terrible as it may sound, there are thousands of people like me who are going through this right now, and there are people who have already been through it. On behalf of the latter, I can say that there is no sense of security and confidence in the world that comes from securing that job. Financial independence has made me more prudent and responsible. I was able to see incremental growth and it helped me get a more forward-looking perspective. I am slowly immersing myself in the British workplace culture and I am increasingly admiring it.

The support of family, friends, university staff, and colleagues has been very encouraging and I have sought advice from the right people whenever I have doubts.

The UK Post Study Visa is an opportunity for students.

The UK has the option to apply for a 2-year Post Study Work Visa, which is truly beneficial for individuals planning to pursue a career in the UK. Also, the advantage of graduating with a placement degree is that you will have one year of experience while applying for a new job next year. It’s been a year of living alone, figuring out a lot, trusting my decisions, taking action risks, and oddly confusing time!

We hope that everyone going through this process can find the right resources to provide guidance, and we wish all the strength, courage, and support to our staff’s aspirations. We all have a goal to grow, and with enough hard work and dedication, everything can be achieved.

The author is a Masters student in Advertising and Marketing Communications at Nottingham Trent University and works as a Marketing and Sales Executive in London.

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